Apparatus for making concrete fireplaces



Nov. 28, 1933. R G BARmBALL 1,937,306

APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONCRETE FIREPLACES Filed July 1, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet l Fofierf G. 360725664 26,

INVENTOR A TTORNEY.

R. G. BARRI'BALL 1,937,306

' APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONCRETE FIREPLACES Filed July 1, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 2 .Qa Z a/"Z Barr 6 aZZ,

2a INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

1 bed of sand 14 of any desired thickness.

Patented Nov. 28, 1933 APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONCRETE I FIREPLAC-ES aRobert George Barriball, Cleveland, Ohio Application July 1, 1931.Serial o. 548,186 2 Claims. (Cl. 25-418) The present invention relatesgenerally to the art of concrete fireplaces, and more particularly 7 toa new and improved method of making afireplace characterized with theappearance of a smooth sandstone finish, whichis obtained-without thenecessity of i burnishing-or rubbing the face of the product.

In carrying out the invention I contemplate the provision of a fireplacehaving a sandstone appearance, and one which is comparatively light inweight, and capable of being manufactured and marketed at a nominalcost.

Another important object of the invention resides in the method ofmaking concrete fireplaces having a smooth even surface, free of airholes, air bubbles and the like, and one having the appearance of beingmade from a plurality of separate pieces suitably joined together.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understoodfrom the following detail description when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the apparatus used in the method.Figure 2 is a sectional View on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view of one of the forms.

. D Figure 5 is a view in elevation of the fireplace constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Figure 6 is a sectional view' taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

The mold used in carrying out the present invention, includes anyordinary table-like support, preferably mounted on a wheeled frame-likestructure 10. As herein illustrated, the table comprises spaced sideand'end members 11 and 12 respectively, and a bottom 13 which supports aThe sand bed 14 has its surface smoothed and is maintained in a very wetcondition.

Stretched over the sand bed 14 is a thin unblemished cloth 15 which issecured to the table in any suitable manner, in order to hold it taut.

For this purpose, the side members 11 of the table are preferablygrooved as at 16, and receive the tongues 17 formed on theclamping sills18. The sills 18 are arranged beneath the end members 12, and as shownin Figure 3, after the cloth 15 has been arranged in position, pressureis exerted upon the end members 12 to hold the sill members in clampingrelation with the side members ,11. Clamps are used adjacent the cornersof the ap- ,55 paratus, each clamp including a fixed jaw 19 engaging thesidemember 11, a vertical shank 20 upon which is slidably supported amovable jaw 21, the latter having a threaded adjustable memberassociated therewith for engagement with the endme'mber 12.

The wall of the fireplace is molded about several forms, one of which isindicated at 22 in Figure 4. This form is arranged upon the cloth 1'5,and may of course be constructed from any suitable material and alsovary in size without 5 departing from the spirit of the invention. Thisform 22 is provided with spacing elements 23 to support the forms inspaced. relation to the cloth 15 as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3.This particular form is used to provide the wall of the 7 fireplace withthe usual arch opening as will be readily understood.

Also reposing upon the cloth 15 is a form in the nature of a skeletonframe including metallic bars 24 suitably joined together, and arrangedrelatively to provide any desired design for the faceof the fireplacewall, as illustrated in Figure 5. This form obviously provides the faceof the fireplace with intersecting grooves, thereby dividing the face ofthe wall into a plurality of fiat smooth portions of'relativelydifferent sizes and contour, and which affords the finished product theappearance of being made up of separate pieces of relatively differentdimensions, instead of a unitary construction. The cloth 15 and the formincluding the bars 24 are then covered with a plastic composition, of athickness equal to the depth of the form. In other words the spacesdefined by the adjacent bars of this form are filled with a plasticcomposition, and the latter is 9.0 smoothed off level with the uppersurface of the .form. If desired, each of the spaces defined by the bars24 of the form, or certain combination of said spaces can be filled withdifferent colored cement, to provide the facing of the wall with anicely blended color composition, with a View of enhancing its artisticand ornamental appear-- ance. Certain of the bars 24 extend beneath theform 22, while rising from these bars are vertical extensions 25received by notches or spaces 26 provided in the form 22. After theskeleton-like form has been filled with a cement or the like, the Wallproper indicated at 27 is formed by pouring cement over theskeleton-like form as shown in Figure 2. This wall 27 is preferably amixture of- Haydite and Portland cement, which forms a sort of claysubstance, and gives the fireplace a light weight construction.

After the cement wall 27 has been poured, the parallel side extensionsof the fireplace are formed. For this purpose, the end walls 12 whichextend an appreciable distance above the bed of sand 14, have arrangedthereagainst, vertical extension bars 28 forming part of the skeletonform. The spaces between these bar extensions 28 are filled with plasticcomposition, similar to that used for the face of the wall. A board 29is then arranged in spaced parallel relation to each end wall, and thespace filled with cement to form extension walls 30, which of course areunited with the adjacent extensions of the face of the wall as will bereadily understood.

After the method has been thus completed, the structure is allowed tostand for a few days, and the mold is subsequently removed, togetherwith the forms 22 and 24. The grooves formed by the removal of theskeleton form are then filled with mortar or the like of any desiredcolor.

As hereinabove stated, one of the essential characteristics of theinvention, resides in providing a cement fireplace, free of air holes orbubbles, and having a sandstone finished appearance. This isaccomplished by the use of a bed of 'sand and a cloth covering therefor,which allows the sand to absorb water and moisture, and to prevent theformation of air holes and bubbles while the article is being molded.Consequently, a product is produced having a smooth even surface,without the necessity of burnishing or rubbing said surface, and onehaving the appearance of a sandstone finish.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature andadvantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to haveit understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein illustratedor described, and that such changes may be resorted to when desired asfall within the scope of what is claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a mold for making fire-places, a pallet adapted to contain a bedof sand and embodying a bottom wall with upstanding side and end walls,a porous cloth, and means associated with the pallet for maintaining thecloth stretched in a taut condition over and upon the bed of sand.

2. In a mold for making fire-places, a pallet adapted to contain a bedof sand, a porous cloth, and means associated with the pallet formaintaining the cloth stretched over and upon the bed of sand.

ROBERT GEORGE BARRIBALL.

